2016

K. Chesterton once remarked that “there is a great deal of difference between an eager man who wants to read a book and a tired man who wants a book to read.” This past year I have found myself floating back and forth between these two categories so the book choices below reflect that (study and leisure).

A couple of disclaimers first:

*The majority of the books I read this year revolved around leadership, church strategy, and family ministry…specifically parenting. This list reflects that.

*These books are not in order by preference. They take on many different styles so I choose not to rank or compare apples and oranges.

*Most of these books are faith based books written by authors with a Christian worldview. However some of them (and others I read this year) are not. Several of these books are thoughtful accounts of history, leadership lessons, and practical life hacks. They will be profitably read through the lens of an intelligent Christian worldview, though the books themselves are often not written from such a worldview. To quote Al Mohler, “The world needs more careful Christian readers, who can read honestly, reflectively, thoughtfully, eagerly, and well.”

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win. Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. I really enjoyed this book! What makes this one so good? I think it has to do with superior story-telling, and then practical and clearly understandable real-world-of-business transferable principles. Within each chapter there are three subsections. The first identifies a leadership lesson learned through the authors’ U.S. Navy SEAL combat or training experience. The second subsection explains that leadership principle. The third section then applies it to the business world. A compelling narrative with powerful instruction and direct application, Extreme Ownership challenges leaders everywhere to lead and win. An easy read worth checking out.

Relentless Parenting: The Crucial Pursuit of Your Teen’s Heart. Brian and Angela Haynes. Liz and I are less than a year away from having a teenager in the house. Although I have read numerous books the last few years on parenting, I appreciate one dedicated to the challenge of parenting teens specifically. Because I personally know Brian (and currently serve at a church that still holds strong to his goal of equipping parents to be the primary faith trainer in their home) when I heard he and his bride had released a new book I ordered it right away. Like Brian’s other books, you are reminded that the ultimate goal of parenting is to pass on a legacy of faith. Brian and Angela lead the way in discussing such topics as: words of power not pain, building identity, learning to listen, setting healthy boundaries, and the importance of home. What I appreciated the most was the powerful reminder, “Every day is important in this journey. Most days in your life are ordinary, normal, and even mundane to a degree. It is precisely in the typical days of life that we do our best relentless parenting.”

The Ultimate Guys’ Body Book: Not So Stupid Questions About Your Body. Dr. Walt Larimore. Do you have boys? Are they between the ages of 9-11? Well guess what – that is the primary age for you to start preparing yourself and them for the “talk.” As we all know, the “talk” is not a talk…it is a conversation that continues. This book helped me and my older son walk this path together. I bought two copies and we read it together. I read a few other books on this topic and can share my thoughts on them as well. Just let me know. I look forward to sharing this book with my younger son soon.

Silent Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis. Timothy Eagan. Eagan continues his prizewinning work by telling the riveting story behind the most famous photographs in Native American History – and the brilliant man who captures them, Edward Curtis. At 32, Curtis set out West to capture on film our continent’s original inhabitants before they disappeared…along the way he created the most definitive archive of the American Indian. Eagan not only does a great job of capturing the account of the American Indian, but he brilliantly shares the extreme personal cost of Curtis’ outsized personal ambition.

Habits of Grace. David Mathis. David makes a compelling case for the importance of spiritual disciplines in our life. Focusing on the disciplines of: hearing God’s voice (the Word), having His ear (prayer), and belonging to His body (fellowship), David reminds us that the final joy in any Christian discipline or practice is “the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus as Lord.” As David shares, when all is said and done, our hope is not to be a skilled Bible-reader, practiced pray-er, or faithful church goer, but to increase in knowing and loving Jesus more each day. A good book to start the New Year with.

American Creation. Joseph J. Ellis. Ellis is one of my favorite American Historian Authors. If you have never read Ellis, I highly recommend him. He is a master story teller. His Pulitzer Prize winning book Founding Brothers is one of my top 5 books of all time. In American Creation, Ellis continues his examination of the last quarter of the 18th century….perhaps the most politically creative era in American history. He spends most of the book focusing on Washington, Jefferson, and Madison; specifically analyzing their successes and failures. Overall it is a fairly easy read that will give you a greater appreciation of the “human nature” of the Founding Fathers without tearing them down.

Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family. Paul David Tripp. If you are like me (and most parents) we often feel the pressure to do everything right and raise “good” children. During this hustle and bustle we often lose sight of our ultimate purpose as parents. Outlining 14 principles centered on the Gospel, Tripp’s latest book shows us that we need more than the latest parenting strategy or list of techniques. Rather, we need the rescuing grace of God – grace that has the power to shape how we view everything we do as parents. The chapters on Calling and Identity were truly powerful.

Defying ISIS: Preserving Christianity in the Place of Its Birth and in Your Own Backyard. Johnnie Moore. This book was probably the most difficult to read…not because of how it was written but because of what it addresses…a Christian genocide at the hands of Islamic extremists. He shares never before told stories of horror alongside stories of hope. Moore also does a great job of not only presenting the facts of these acts but the demand that we take action. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil.”

Lasting Impact: 7 Powerful Conversations That Will Help Your Church Grow. Carey Nieuwhof. If you are a leader in any church you should read this. Carey encourages us to have some difficult conversations. Throughout the book, Carey gives us permission to think big, reminds us to ask God boldly, and challenges us to believe that the best really is yet to come. I love Carey’s heart and passion for the local church. He believes and understands that growth in churches isn’t for the sake of popularity but for the sake of the Gospel. — I’m also a fan of Carey on his other media mediums. Carey writes one of the most widely read Christian leadership blogs today and hosts The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast, on which he interviews today’s best Christian leaders. Carey is the author of Leading Change Without Losing It and co-author of Parenting Beyond Your Capacity.

Bobby’s Homecoming Adventure. Lenny and Kisha Moore. This book was written for all military families who are navigating the all-too-familiar deployment season. Many times, a deployment can be most difficult on children who do not understand politics, just war ethics, or military contracts. They only understand that mommy or daddy is not home. The unknown can cause fear or worry to creep into a child’s life and rob them of their joy. Lenny and Kisha aim to give parents a resource to help them teach their children how to trust God in the uncertain times. Liz and I would have loved to have such a resource during my deployments.